A few years ago one of the Gulagers went to work at the Foundation. According to what he said, the only good things were his house (must have been in one of the better compounds, not the one they all complain about) and the money which was better than Gulag wages. He didn't like his neighbors though. He said the worst thing was the spying/ratting system in place where teachers were encouraged and even pressured to rat on each other. He said didn't like the boss because he said he played games. I remember this because our boss at the time was definitely not into games - he played straight. I don't know what kind of games were being played, but this game playing staff looks like a regular feature of the system. There are a lot of complaints on different posts about this. Game players do people's heads in. They enjoy it because they can't relate to people on a human scale. They messed the Gulager around so he didn't go back after leave.

The guys I met at TESOL in Dubai said the very same thing. These guys had no issues with their houses or wages but were very vocal about the report/spy system. They said teachers were reported on for trivial or stupid things and then this report was put in your file. One of the guys said you couldn't trust the people you worked with because you didn't know who was part of the spy team and who wasn't. The other guy said this was the only way the manager could justify his existance - by picking on people and punishing them. This spy racket business sure supports all the other comments I've read on different posts. Is this guy ex-military? It sure sounds like he's got a martial approach to dealing with people. The best thing about the Gulag and the Gulagers was that you could trust people. Nobody (in my time and those of others I know very well) ever ratted on anyone else. They felt it was beneath contempt. I do too.

Goes together with the collection of games playing teacher(s) who were apparently unhappy that they weren't renewed. Though many of the posts here made it rather clear why.

VS

The ex Gulager didn't come back after one year. He didn't like playing the game. The guys I met at TESOL Arabia chose to leave from what they said. One guy said he was fed up with unethical practices. You know how it is at these international confereneces, you see a familiar face from a pub or cafe and you start talking and comparing notes.

History tells us that failed leaders and managers are always the ones who favor oppression and repressive practices. One of the ways this has always been done throughout history is through spying and reporting on the people you work with or live with. The purpose is to divide and rule and punish those who don't toe the line or play the game.

Successful leaders and managers are people oriented. They care about the people they govern or lead. Do any of the respected leaders or managers practice spying? I can't imagine someone like Bill Gates resorting to such a cowardly leadership or management tactic. Good leaders and good managers have a sense of fair play. Dozens of teachers at QU can't be wrong. If this QU Foundation manager, apparently an American which makes you wonder what kind of a background he comes from - seems like ex-military to me), tried to use reasonable and fair management practices, he might find his staff would be more supportive.

The ex-Gulager said dealing with him was like living near a volcano. You never knew when the magma might explode and bury you alive. (His analogy, not mine.) The problem is so many of the expats who get into power in this part of the world would probably have been bypassed back home in the States. There the competition for management jobs is fiercer and there are standards of quality assurance. I am not saying ruthless people don't get into power, it happens naturally, but there are checks and curbs so that eventually these people get outed.

One wonders at your concern... having only discussed it at a local pub with a couple characters. It is a very large department with over a hundred teachers. We have had a couple chronic complainers here (with a half dozen screen names) and now you're continuing to beat their drum... even though they have moved on with their life(s).

As usual at these university positions, there are plenty of teachers who have been there for years and seem to have little trouble avoiding the problems these two had. From what one reads on this board, management seems to be an issue almost everywhere in the Gulf (in the world?). It was an issue in the 80s and it still is. Very few of the managers in education have any training in management and it often shows. While we can come on here and define our perfect manager, the fact is that as adults we have to deal with what we get... no matter what country we are teaching in... and if we can't get along, we move on or get moved on.

I can't believe that some people use QP as a benchmark for comparing jobs in Qatar. That was the most incompetent,corrupt, mismanaged den of snakeoil salesmen I ever had the misfortune to work for. There's something wrong when the "contract teachers" are better qualified than the majority of the direct hires. As far as managers go in the hierarchy the majority of the "senior supervisors" were incompetent, corrupt backsidekissing jobsworths. Most of them couldn't be trusted to manage a fast food joint, let alone a training site. Teaching? Yeah, sure they'd come and observe and give you good marks for using "different coloured markers on the whiteboard" or mark you down for "failing to do group and pairwork in the same class hour". Some of them got contract instructors to do their dirtywork and then threw them under the bus just to cover their backsides.
Management at most places in the Gulf sucks, but after QP, it eally can't get much worse.

The man in charge can be very moody and dangerous. I should know as I worked with him 23 years ago. Do not cross him as he has a reputation for getting rid of people he doesn't like. Forewarned is forearmed.

On another note, I was happy worked there all those years ago but the salary was lousy which drove most of us away. I've heard it has improved so that's one good thing.

jest passin thru - still got QA airmiles ta use up so got a whole day ta kill so decided ta see what's what

West Bay looks plain awful. It's a gud thing I left. Roads look a lot better. Finally road to Al Zuhoor is fiished so heard it only takes 20 mins ta get ta da campus if ya leave round 7.00. Not bad. Used ta take me 80 mins or more!!!

so HoD still int spying wid a vengeance
this is what makes da guy tick - he ain't got nuttin ta do so he keeps his bit fat checklist with black marks against the teachers (checklist is on the kitchen wall) it makes him feel gud to put black marks against people
validates his existance, so ta speak!

Heard that most people still in misery and very unhappy - another mass exodus of a dozen teachers - the annual event, not culling dis time instead people jest checkin out 'cause they had it wid a guy who can't relate to people.

- another mass exodus of a dozen teachers - the annual event, not culling dis time instead people jest checkin out .

I see that you are still pretending to have some bizarre American accent that you have gleaned from watching too many low budget films.

A dozen teachers in a department this size does NOT constitute a "mass exodus." If there were 30 or 50, that would qualify. It appears to be a pretty average number for Gulf Universities. I would consider any number under 10 to be a compliment to the department to lose so few.

As has been reported numerous times, they have about the same teacher attrition as the other large EFL departments of Gulf universities. I often wonder if it is the same batch of teachers who just migrate from university to university.

This must be the final countdown if they are turning back the clock into using Arabic as the main language of instruction. When I first arrived here to work at the Gulag that's what they students were taught in. They had a really excellent ESP program that some of our Gulag teachers joined. That should never have been cancelled. The QU students never needed to take our Gulag courses, so they must have been doing something right.

[quote]Arabic to be medium instruction at QU

The Supreme Education Council has issued a decision as per which the Arabic language shall be the medium of instruction at the Qatar University (QU).

The decision also states that students are to be directly accepted in all programmes that are being taught in the Arabic language as of fall 2012 semester, without the need to study the Foundation Programme, and that the university is to consider the courses which students passed as part of the Foundation Programme within the requirements of QU.
The decision also provides for the Arabic language to be the medium of instruction at the Faculty of Law as well as in the disciplines of international affairs, media and the Faculty of Business Administration as of fall 2012 semester.
The decision provides for applying its provisions to all students currently enrolled in the Foundation Programme.

Qatar University set to raise standards Tuesday, 04 January 2011 01:45

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DOHA: Qatar University (QU) is committed to further improve its academic standards and is competing with the foreign universities in the Education City in a positive manner, according to Dr Sheikha Abdullah Al Misnad, president of the University.

The University is currently conducting a study on the strong and weak points of its academic performance as part of efforts to improve the standards of its graduates, Al Misnad said in an extensive interview with Al Sharq.

Asked about the University’s relation with the Education City universities, Al Misnad said: “Many people are asking about our competition with the Education City. It is a positive competition. We are benefiting from their experience. We have good relations with all the universities in the Education City through exchanging lecturers, and conducting joint researches and training programmes.”

She said the University was trying to upgrade its standards to international levels through “evaluating ourselves” and “adopting the most advanced techniques.”

“Our graduates have won good reputation from various circles and many employers are now preferring them. We are conducting a study to identity the strong and weak points of our academic performance,” said Al Misnad.

Asked about the poor performance of many QU students in English language, the official said, “We are aware of that and we are giving more focus on English, mathematics and computer science.”

Toefl or IELTS will continue to remain part of the admission requirements except in Islamic Studies and Shariah, where English is not a compulsory subject.

Asked why the University had adopted English as the medium of instruction instead of Arabic, which is the official language of the country, Al Misnad said, “ Arabic is our official language in administration and most of our programmes are taught in Arabic. English has been adopted as the medium only in pure sciences and professional courses. One-third of the whole curriculum is taught in Arabic. All the students must study Arabic, Islamic history and Qatar history. And we have a special programme to teach Arabic to non-Arabic speaking students.”

She welcomed the Cabinet’s decision to encourage Qatari students to study media and journalism by providing special incentives and hoped that such measures would help attract more nationals to this field. She added that the Faculty of Mass Communication was one of the key departments of the Qatar University.

The future emphasis of the University will be on providing high quality education, promoting scientific research, expanding infrastructure and strengthening the administrative system.